Which term refers to the process of choosing from a group of qualified applicants the individual best suited for a particular position?

Selection is choosing the most suitable candidates from those who apply for the job. It is a process of offering jobs to desired candidates.

Once the potential applicants are identified, the next step is to evaluate their qualifications, qualities, experience, capabilities, etc. & make the selection. It is the process of offering jobs to the desired applicants.

Meaning of Selection In Human Resource Management

Selection is the process of choosing from the candidates, from within the organization or from outside, the most suitable person for the current or future positions.

Selection means choosing a few from those who apply. It is picking up applicants or candidates with requisite qualifications and qualities to fill jobs in the organization.

Definition of Selection In HRM

Selection is the process of choosing from the candidates, from within the organization or from outside, the most suitable person for the current or future positions.

Dale Yoder said, “Selection is the process by which candidates for employment are divided into classes those who will be offered employment and those who will not.”

David and Robbins said, “Selection process is a managerial decision-making process to predict which job applicants will be successful if hired.”

Most managers recognize employee selection as one of their most challenging and important business decisions.

The selection process involves making a judgment – not about the applicant but about the fit between the applicant and the job by considering knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required to perform the job selection procedures are not carried out through standard patterns and steps in this.

The process can vary from organization to organization. Some steps performed and considered necessary by one organization can be skipped by another.

Personnel Selection is the methodical placement of individuals into jobs. Its impact on the organization is realized when employees achieve years or decades of service to the employer.

The selection process follows a methodology to collect information about an individual to determine if that individual should be employed. The methodology used should not violate any laws regarding personnel selection.

8 Steps in Selection Process

The selection process typically begins with the preliminary interview; candidates complete the employment application.

They progress through selection tests, employment interviews, and reference and background checks. The successful applicant receives a company physical examination and is employed if the results are satisfactory.

Several external and internal factors impact the selection process, and the manager must consider them in making selection decisions.

Typically, the selection process consists of the following steps, but not all organizations need to go through all these steps as per the organization’s requirements. Some steps can be skipped while performing the selection process.

1. Initial Screening

The selection process often begins with an initial screening of applicants to remove individuals who do not meet the position requirements.

At this stage, a few straightforward questions are asked. An applicant may be unqualified to fill the advertised position but be well qualified to work in other open positions.

The Purpose of Screening is to decrease the number of applicants being considered for selection.

Sources utilized in the screening effort.

A personal Resume presented with the job application is considered a source of information that can be used for the initial screening process. It mainly includes information in the following areas:

Advantages of Successful Screening

If the screening effort is successful, those applicants that do not meet the minimum required qualifications will not move to the next stage in the selection process.

Companies utilizing expensive selection procedures put more effort into screening to reduce costs.

2. Completion of the Application Form

Application Blank is a formal record of an individual’s application for employment. The next step in the selection process may involve having the prospective employee complete an employment application.

This may be as brief as requiring only an applicant’s name, address, and telephone number.

The application form gives a job-performance-related synopsis of applicants’ life, skills, and accomplishments.

The specific type of information may vary from firm to firm and even by job type within an organization.

Application forms are a good way to quickly collect verifiable and fairly accurate historical data from the candidate.

3. Employment Tests

Personnel testing is a valuable way to measure individual characteristics. Hundreds of tests have been developed to measure various dimensions of behavior.

The tests measure mental abilities, knowledge, physical abilities, personality, interest, temperament, and other attitudes and behaviors.

Evidence suggests that tests are becoming more prevalent for assessing an applicant’s qualifications and potential for success.

Tests are used more in the public sector than in the private sector and in medium-sized and large companies than in small companies.

Large organizations are likely to have trained specialists to run their testing programs.

Advantages of using tests

Selection testing can be a reliable and accurate means of selecting qualified candidates from a pool of applicants.

As with all selection procedures, it is important to identify the essential functions of each job and determine the skills needed to perform them.

Potential Problems using Selection tests

Selection tests may accurately predict an applicant’s ability to perform the job, but they are less successful in indicating the extent to which the individual will want to perform it.

Another potential problem, related primarily to personality tests and interest inventories, is applicants’ honesty. Also, there is the problem of test anxiety.

Applicants often become quite anxious when confronting yet another hurdle that might eliminate them from consideration.

4. Job Interview

An interview is a goal-oriented conversation in which the interviewer and applicant exchange information.

The employment interview is especially significant because the applicants who reach this stage are considered the most promising candidates.

Interview Planning

Interview planning is essential to effective employment interviews.

The physical location of the interview should be both pleasant and private, providing for a minimum of interruptions. The interviewer should possess a pleasant personality, empathy, and the ability to listen and communicate effectively.

He or she should become familiar with the applicant’s qualifications by reviewing the data collected from other selection tools.

In preparing for the interview, a job profile should be developed based on the job description.

Content of the Interview

The specific content of employment interviews varies greatly by the organization and the job level.

1. Occupational experience: Exploring an individual’s occupational experience requires determining the applicant’s skills, abilities, and willingness to handle responsibility.
2. Academic achievement: In the absence of significant work experience, a person’s academic background is more important.
3. Interpersonal skills: If an individual cannot work well with other employees, chances for success are slim. This is especially true today, with increasing emphasis on using teams.
4. Personal qualities: Personal qualities normally observed during the interview include physical appearance, speaking ability, vocabulary, poise, adaptability, and assertiveness.
5. Organizational fit: A hiring criterion that is not prominently mentioned in the literature is organizational fit. Organizational fit is ill-defined but refers to management’s perception of the degree to which the prospective employee will fit in with, for example, the firm’s culture or value system.

5. Conditional Job Offer

A conditional job offer means a tentative job offer that becomes permanent after certain conditions are met.

A conditional job offer is usually made if a job applicant has passed each step of the selection process.

In essence, the conditional job offer implies that if everything checks out – such as passing a certain medical, physical, or substance abuse test – the conditional nature of the job offer will be removed, and the offer will be permanent.

6. Background Investigation

Background Investigation is intended to verify that information on the application form is correct and accurate.

This step is used to check the accuracy of the application form through former employers and references. Verification of education and legal status to work, credit history, and criminal record are also made.

Personal reference checks may provide additional insight into the information furnished by the applicant and allow verification of its accuracy.

Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. It is important to gain as much information as possible about past behavior to understand what behavior one can expect in the future.

Knowledge about attendance problems, insubordination issues, theft, or other behavioral problems can help one avoid hiring someone likely to repeat those behaviors.

Background investigations primarily seek data from references supplied by the applicant, including his or her previous employers.

The intensity of background investigations depends on the level of responsibility inherent in the position to be filled.

Common sources of background information include:

• References are provided by the applicant and are usually very positive.
• Former employers should be called to confirm the candidate’s work record and to obtain their performance appraisal.
• Educational accomplishments can be verified by asking for transcripts.
• Legal status to work.
• Credit references, if job-related.
• Third-party investigators can check criminal records.
• Third-party investigators conduct background checks.
• Online searches as simple as a “Google” search of a candidate can turn up information on press releases or news items about a candidate that was left off the application or resume.

7. Medical/Physical Examination

After the decision to extend a job offer, the next phase of the selection process involves completing a medical/physical examination.

This examination determines an applicant’s physical fitness for essential job performance.

Typically, a job offer is contingent on successfully passing this examination.

For example, firefighters must perform activities that require a certain physical condition. Whether climbing a ladder, lugging a water-filled four-inch hose, or carrying an injured victim, these individuals must demonstrate that they are fit for the job.

8. Permanent Job Offer

Individuals who perform successfully in the preceding steps are eligible to receive the employment offer. The hiring decision should be made by the manager in the department where the vacancy exists.

Notification to Candidates

The selection process results should be known to candidates—successful and unsuccessful—as soon as possible.

Any delay may result in the firm losing a prime candidate, as top prospects often have other employment options.

As a matter of courtesy and good public relations, the unsuccessful candidates should also be promptly notified.

9 Ways of Making an Effective Employee Selection

All companies, irrespective of size, make hiring mistakes, but here are a few tips experts /suggest to help avoid making them.

Before filling a position, the HR manager of a company must clearly define the skills, experience, character, ‘educational background, work experience, technical skills, and competencies they must possess.

Hiring without testing

Skill testing is a must. Every job has some form of measurable, objective performance standard. Identify it and test for it.

Some tests can indicate if a job candidate meets the required criteria. With these pre-hire screening tools, a recruiter can test the knowledge of potential hires before they are extended an offer.

Hiring after the first interview

It is important to have several interviews with the same person — and not to hire from one interview. The person may not present the same later, and the HR manager may get fresh insights from different meetings.

Underestimating the unemployed.

A person who does not have a job at the Vnoment may be the right fit for the position. They are plenty of good talent out there that are not hired.

Poor or no reference checking

It is important to know how to conduct a detailed ‘reference check.

A proper reference check verifies job skills and the behavioral fit in which the person operates. It is essential to conduct an extensive background investigation and reference checks.

Avoid hiring out of desperation.

Too many hiring decisions are made out of operation.

The following scenarios occur repeatedly; a key manager quits and must be replaced now; rapid growth forces a company to fill positions without enough forethought; programmers are so scarce that anyone will do.

If we hire employees in haste, we may find out later that the recruits are not trustworthy or competent.

If an HR manager cannot conduct a thorough, timely hiring process, hire a temporary or leased employee or borrow an employee from another company.

Watch out for fascination.

A series of surveys have revealed that during the hiring process, most interviewers made their decision up or down within the first 10 minutes of the interview.

They then spent the next 50 minutes internally justifying that decision. We buy cars in the same way.

First, we choose the car we want to buy from an emotional standpoint and then search for objective data to justify that emotional decision.

We all know that facts tell, but emotions sell. The recruiter can guard against obsession by having coworkers interview prospects, group interviews, and follow-up interviews.

Just because someone recommends someone they think would be highly capable for a particular position doesn’t mean they are qualified.

We have seen many occasions where someone was hired without going through the usual evaluation process simply because another employee or colleague recommended them.

Follow the usual channels and requirements when anyone-no matter how highly recommended-seeks to work for the organization.

It is widely believed that the HR manager should recruit employees from within the organization.

The best performers are not always the most qualified candidates for a specific job. This is especially true when promoting to the management level.

Simply because someone is particularly adept at handling a certain function doesn’t mean they are capable of managing others. It is important to remember the Peter Principle.

It is a concept in management theory in which the selection of a candidate for a position is based on their performance in the current role rather than on their abilities relevant to the intended role.

Peter suggests that people tend to be promoted until they reach their “position of incompetence.”

One’s career may cripple after such a promotion. Promoting solely from within can create inbreeding and stagnate creativity.

To guard against these pitfalls, companies should consider filling at least one-third of all positions involving promotions with people from outside the organization.

9 Common Mistakes in the Selection of Employees

If workers are carefully selected, employee discipline problems will be negligible.

Consequently, hiring employees is a major part of the success of every company. Colin (2011) and Fraser (2012) identified common mistakes that might occur while hiring new employees.

Organizations today are experiencing high employee turnover rates, wrongful hiring claims, gender discrimination, political consideration, regionalism, workplace violence, employee theft, etc.

Hiring the wrong person may aggravate such risk.

The wrong person is underqualified, insubordinate, and detrimental to the entire firm. Indeed, many failed employee-employer relationships are planted during the hiring process.

The wrong person can do a lot of damage to the organization. The wrong person may be an unavoidable liability for the organization. Hiring mistakes can be more costly.

These mistakes can include the cost of termination, replacement, and productivity loss. They can impact the organization’s bottom line and the morale and productivity of other employees.

Selecting the right people is a key leverage point to support and drive an organization’s growth and development.

But selecting the right person is not an easy task. Many mistakes may occur while selecting employees. The cost associated with making such a mistake is tremendous.

Both dismissal and turnover are costly.

The best way to reduce turnover is to make the right selection decision at the beginning of the entire process. Selecting the right people is crucial to an organization’s success.

How can an HR manager ensure they are not making the top hiring mistakes?

Colin (2011) says, “It’s important to get your hiring right the first time and encourages employers to take steps to reduce the likelihood of costly hiring mistakes.”

However, the following mistakes are identified in the selection process of an employee:

Poor listening

Few recruiters do not pay full attention to the candidate. In fact /following the 80: 20 rule, the 80% needs to come from the applicant.

The interviewer should listen 80% of the time.

They should pay more attention to body language, posture, and eye contact: all non-verbal communication cues.

About 93% of all communication is nonverbal, so being attuned to many nonverbal cues provides an interviewer with much richer information about the candidate (McMurray, R. N., 1990).

They should read and observe the personality of the applicants.

For example, voice quality is important for a candidate to become a teacher and his academic qualification. Recruiters should talk less and listen more.

Questions are not purposeful.

This is due to a lack of preparation. If recruiters /have benchmarked the job and prepared a list of questions in advance, they cannot go wrong.

Recruiters should get prepared both for the basic and follow-up questions.

A review of the job specification and employee specifications may help the interviewer prepare specific questions. They should build rapport with the interviewee. The burden of establishing rapport falls on the interviewer.

Recruiters do not know what they are looking for

The recruiters may lack in / preparation. So make a list of all the hard and soft skills (personality traits and personal values) that employers need for the employee.

Jot down any additional demands the job requires, such as lots of overtime, travel, and set hours. The recruiter must know exactly what they are looking for.

They are more likely to get it. Like most decision-making, employee selection is fundamentally emotional.

Therefore, it is important to define and prioritize the Critical Success Factors for the job in advance.

This enables clear thinking to establish a specific position profile. Yes, it takes time, but it is an effective use of time versus “shooting in the dark.”.

Use the gut feels approach.

Experience and intuition are important, but do /not ignore the selection process.

Have procedures that will assist a recruiter in making the right choice, such as testing, pre-interview questionnaires, psychometric assessments, etc.

It is important to verify and check all information provided in the resume to ensure that nothing is wrong.

Be open to the possibility that some of them might not be honest and are bending the truth to get the job.

It is common for applicants to paint a much brighter picture on their resumes, making testing extra important.

Time and work under pressure

Recruiters spend too little time on hiring and make /take too long to look for a replacement. They should understand that hiring costs are nothing compared to turnover costs.

Don’t meet the candidate only once.

Create opportunities for other managers to meet the applicant and hear what they say. It is very important to get the whole picture and see whether the applicant will be a good fit for the company.

Will they be able to fit into the organizational culture and get along well with the rest of the team?

Go with the flow

Most interviewers do not take control of the interview. HR/managers must remember it is his interview. He does not candidate-set the process, timing, roles, pace, and questioning.

Do not settle for vague general responses just because you want to be polite. At the beginning of the interview, let the candidate know that your goal as an HR manager is to understand his/her capabilities fully.

Oblivious to the legal

This may not prevent HR managers from making the right /selection decision, but it will increase the company’s liabilities.

To solve this problem, the HR manager must know the law, train employees, and enforce the law in his selection process. Ignorance is no excuse.

How Selection, Recruitment, and Job Analysis are Inter-connected

Selection, recruitment, and job analysis are interconnected.

We can find a relationship between recruitment and selection, i.e., recruitment is the precondition for selecting an employee for the organization.

The relationship between “Job analysis” and “Recruitment and Selection” is, i.e., job analysis is the foundation of recruitment and selection for selecting a qualified and capable employee as required for performing the job accurately.

Job Analysis

Job analysis is the process of collecting job-related information. Such information helps in the preparation of job descriptions and job specifications.

A job is a collection of tasks that a single employee can perform to contribute to the production of some product or service provided by the organization.

Each job has certain ability requirements and rewards associated with it. Job analysis is the process used to identify these requirements.

Job analysis involves the following steps:

1. Collection and recording of job information.
2. Checking the job information for accuracy.
3. Writing job descriptions based on the information.
4. Using the information to determine the skills, abilities, and knowledge required.
5. Upgrading the information from time to time.

Job analysis has an impact on all foundations of HRM. If properly done, job analysis will enhance all HR activities’ effectiveness.

It benefits the organization in the following ways:

1. Laying the foundation for human resources planning.
2. Laying the foundation for employee hiring.
3. Laying the foundation for training and development.
4. Laying the foundation for performance appraisal.
5. Laying the foundation for salary and wage fixation.
6. Laying the foundation for safety and health.

Recruitment

Recruitment involves attracting and obtaining as many applications as possible from eligible job seekers. It is the process of finding and attracting capable applicants for employment.

The process begins when recruits are sought and ends when their applications are submitted. The result is a pool of applicants from which new employees are selected.

Recruitment involves attracting and obtaining as many applications as possible from eligible job seekers. Recruitment is the process of finding and attracting capable applicants for employment.

The process begins when recruits are sought and ends when their applications are submitted. The result is a pool of applicants from which new employees are selected.

Selection: Where Recruitment Ends Selection Starts

Selection is the process of differentiating between applicants to identify and hire those with a greater likelihood of success in a job.

Recruitment and selection are the two crucial steps in the HR process and are often used interchangeably.

There is, however, a fine distinction between the two steps.

While recruitment refers to identifying and encouraging prospective employees to apply for jobs, the selection is concerned with selecting suitable candidates from a pool of applicants.

Selection is the process of differentiating between applicants to identify and hire those with a greater likelihood of success in a job.

Though some selection methods can be used within the organization for promotion or transfer, the question’s statement is incorrect in this case.

But when the selection of applicants from outside the organization has occurred, the statement in the question is correct.

Recruitment and relation are the two crucial steps in the HR process and are often used interchangeably. There is, however, a fine distinction between the two steps.

While recruitment refers to identifying and encouraging prospective employees to apply for jobs, selection is concerned with selecting suitable candidates from the pool of applicants obtained during the recruitment process.

So, in this case, the selection is derived after completing the recruitment process. Recruitment is said to be positive in its approach as it seeks to attract as many candidates as possible.

On the other hand, the selection is negative in its application as much as it seeks to element as many unqualified applicants as possible to identify the right candidates from the pool.

So in the recruitment and selection process, recruitment is the first step, and selection is the second or final step.

In conclusion, we can say, “when recruitment ends, selection starts.”

Conclusion

Selection is when an enterprise chooses the applicants who best meet the criteria for the available positions. Selection is the process of choosing from a group of applicants those individuals best suited for a particular position.

The objectives of the selection process are to select the candidates whose success probability in the job is the highest and motivate the right candidates to opt for the vacancy by properly presenting the organization to the potential candidates.

In many HR departments, recruiting and selection are combined and called the employment function. In large HR departments, the employment function is the responsibility of the HR Director.

In smaller departments, HR managers handle these duties.

The selection process relies on three helpful inputs. Job analysis provides the job description, human specifications, and performance standards each job requires.

Human resource plans tell HR managers what job openings are likely to occur. These plans allow selection to proceed logically.

Finally, recruits are necessary so that the HR manager has a group of people from which to choose. These three inputs largely determine the effectiveness of the selection process.

The selection process is a series of steps through which applicants pass.

The result of each step is crucial. Failure of any step disqualifies the candidate from attempting the next step.

For example, a candidate who fails to qualify for a particular step is not eligible to appear for the subsequent step.

Because of this characteristic, Yoder (1972) has termed this process a succession of hurdles. It is designed to determine the most likely candidates to be successful at fulfilling the job requirements by eliminating those candidates least likely to succeed.